During 2025, Peachtree Church is focusing on the Book of Psalms with a series called Dwell, through which we seek to deepen our conversation with God and open ourselves to hearing his response. The practice of praying three times each day will unite the voices of our hearts and souls as we seek the day when we will see the full realization of the Kingdom of God, promised in Revelation 21:3: “…Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
We will email devotionals twice weekly with Monday’s providing an overview of the Psalm as a whole, and Wednesday’s focused on that week’s Daily Dwell.
The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
Psalm 50:1-3
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
Our God comes
and will not be silent…
Devotional
The psalmist could have started anywhere—with a call to repentance, a word about sacrifice, or a reminder to be thankful. Instead, Psalm 50 opens with wonder. Before God corrects or commands, he reveals his character—powerful, radiant, and present. The psalm begins this way because right worship always starts with remembering who God is. That is why it’s our Daily Dwell this week—to help remind us who it is we worship and devote our very lives to.
We are not meant to rush past this introduction. The imagery is deliberate and expansive. “The Mighty One” speaks, and the whole earth—from sunrise to sunset—listens. From Zion, the place of his dwelling, God shines forth in beauty. His coming is marked by fire and storm, not to terrify, but to awaken. This is the language of glory breaking into the ordinary, mundane world.
I sometimes forget that worship begins in awe. My days are full and hurried, and I can easily approach God like I do everything else—efficiently. I come ready to ask, to thank, to confess. But these verses invite a different pace—a slower pace. They remind me that before I speak, I am meant to see. Before I thank God for what he has done, I am called to marvel alone at who he is.
When we start with wonder, thanksgiving flows naturally. Gratitude is no longer a polite response to blessings; it becomes a joyful acknowledgment of God’s beauty and power. It becomes the building block our lives are grounded in. Beginning in wonder reorders our hearts. It shifts us from striving to beholding, from performance to presence.
Maybe that’s why this psalm starts with a vision instead of a command. God does not begin with what we must do, but with who he is—the one who speaks, shines, and comes near. The foundation of true thanksgiving is not our effort, but his glory.
So, before we rush into prayer or song, perhaps we pause. We look up and remember that the God who summons the earth is also the God who calls our name.
For Reflection
- What helps you recover a sense of wonder when life feels hurried or ordinary?
- How might beginning with awe change the way you approach thanksgiving and worship this week?
Prayer
God, you are mighty and near, radiant in beauty and full of power. Help awaken in me a sense of wonder that slows me down and opens my eyes. Teach me to begin with awe, to linger in your presence, and to let gratitude rise from wonder. Amen.
Published under
Devotionals